Nutritionist? Are they Worth the $$$?

Options
trackercasey76
trackercasey76 Posts: 780 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a friend that has lost 100+ pounds with the help of a nutritionist, he swears by it. However it seems pretty simple to me Calories in VS Calories out... I have lost over a 100 pounds in the past with this simplistic approach but I put 60 back on so I am torn. Your thoughts?
«1

Replies

  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
    Options
    I'm cheap, so no, not worth it for me. I never pay anyone for anything I can learn on my own. I only pay others as a last resort (when I'm at my wits end....and that happens very very rarely). Losing weight is really too easy for me to ever pay anyone to tell me what to eat. And if you don't have the motivation to lose the weight (which really is why most fail), a nutritionist won't help you in the long run.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
    edited January 2015
    Options
    If calories in VS calories out worked for you in the past why would it be any different now?

    Years (15yrs) ago I tried a nutritionist and I found this site in 2008 and I never looked back and kick myself for wasting a lot of money. IJS
  • Jennifer_Lynn_1982
    Jennifer_Lynn_1982 Posts: 567 Member
    Options
    bump...curious too. My extended health covers nutritionists as well but I'm not sure if they'll tell me anything I don't already know...
  • BeastReborn
    BeastReborn Posts: 13 Member
    Options
    You won't need any professional help to get into a normal body weight range. But to see your abs, well that that's a whole new bucket of worms. Same concepts, it's just more difficult to get there. Still doable, you never need to hire anybody, but they have their benefits when you're within maybe 20 lbs or so.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    edited January 2015
    Options
    In most jurisdictions, a "nutritonist" is NOT the same thing as a registered dietitian.

    A registered dietitian must be licensed by the local regulatory body and follow certain standards of knowledge and health. Typically, dietitians work in conjunction with doctors, hospitals or other medical groups. Many insurance plans will cover referrals by a doctor to a dietitian.

    A "nutritionist" on the other hand could be anyone. There are usually no laws whatsoever governing who can call themselves a nutritionist. It could be a really knowledgeable person or it could be a quack. Some notable segments of the quackery market (e.g. "holistic nutrition") have tried to co-opt the nutritionist term, so many of them might not be just clueless, but might actually be giving you advice that could do you harm.

    Caveat emptor.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    edited January 2015
    Options
    A nutritionist: NO.

    A Registered Dietitian: Maybe.

    There is an enormous distinction in terms of education and certification between the two. Being a nutritionist means exactly nothing, as there are no specific criteria that need to be met to call yourself one. An RD needs a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in nutrition, a year-long internship in a clinical setting, and to have passed a national exam.

    If you feel you really need help getting on track and are willing to pay for it, make sure you are paying someone who actually deserves to get paid for their services and aren't full of crap, as many "nutritionists" are.
  • Jennifer_Lynn_1982
    Jennifer_Lynn_1982 Posts: 567 Member
    Options
    True, I'd only be able to see a Registered Dietitian as part of my extended health. Has anyone been to one before? I'm 15 lbs from goal weight.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Options
    Jennifer_Lynn_1982 wrote: »
    True, I'd only be able to see a Registered Dietitian as part of my extended health. Has anyone been to one before? I'm 15 lbs from goal weight.

    With only 15 lbs to lose, I'd say save your money. You can easily do it on your own for freesies. I'd venture to say RDs are mostly beneficial for people who have a LOT of weight to lose, have certain dietary restrictions they need help working around, or are completely utterly clueless. You don'[t sound like you fit any of those criteria. :smile:
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
    Options
    Hundreds of millions of folks lose weight and live healthier lives without nutritionists, personal trainers, dietitians, and health coaches.

    They are absolutely unnecessary.

    If you enjoy just throwing your money away, though, and feel the need - you can feel free to throw it at me..
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Options
    SergeantSausage wrote: »
    Hundreds of millions of folks lose weight and live healthier lives without nutritionists, personal trainers, dietitians, and health coaches.

    They are absolutely unnecessary.

    +1

    I don't think normal people without some kind of medical condition need someone to tell them how to eat properly. I really don't understand it.

    However, if you have some kind of medically-required need to eat in a particular way (for example, my mother has a condition that requires her to watch her iron intake, as well as some other issues), a dietician--not a nutritionist--can be helpful and a good idea.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Options
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    SergeantSausage wrote: »
    Hundreds of millions of folks lose weight and live healthier lives without nutritionists, personal trainers, dietitians, and health coaches.

    They are absolutely unnecessary.

    +1

    I don't think normal people without some kind of medical condition need someone to tell them how to eat properly. I really don't understand it.

    However, if you have some kind of medically-required need to eat in a particular way (for example, my mother has a condition that requires her to watch her iron intake, as well as some other issues), a dietician--not a nutritionist--can be helpful and a good idea.

    ^^ This.

  • Sophsmother
    Sophsmother Posts: 83 Member
    Options
    I think a visit to a dietician can be well worth it. They can give you some ideas of things you can eat that maybe you never thought of. If keeping the weight off is something you struggle with, then maybe getting some guidance about ways to keep it off would be helpful. There's no harm in trying. I'm surprised by how many people in this thread who say that it isn't worth the money. It doesn't sound like any of them have tried it out. i say go for it.
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    Options
    I think at the end of the day what is "worth it" to you will be different that what is "worth it" to me. I wouldn't pay for the information b/c I know I wouldn't stick to the information.

    I think worth it comes down to did you benefit from it? I'm sure your friend feels that the money she spent was worth it b/c she's at a healthier weight and probably feels much better about herself and her health.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Options
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    SergeantSausage wrote: »
    Hundreds of millions of folks lose weight and live healthier lives without nutritionists, personal trainers, dietitians, and health coaches.

    They are absolutely unnecessary.

    +1

    I don't think normal people without some kind of medical condition need someone to tell them how to eat properly.

    Agreed completely. But the sad fact of the matter is, thousands of people with nothing wrong with them DO need someone to tell them how to eat properly. The US as a whole is just getting fatter and unhealthier and more ignorant in regards to nutrition, and now we need people to help. Maybe in a few generations, with enough RDs and other experts in the field, we can reverse it.

    I am a dietetics major, and am going to be an RD. Not because I want to capitalize on the ignorance of others, but because it's a field in very high demand and I genuinely want to help people who don't know how to help themselves.

  • nuttynanners
    nuttynanners Posts: 249 Member
    Options
    I think it's worth it for people who really need help understanding the nuts and bolts of nutrition. I think it could be very useful for someone new to macronutrients and the value of carbs vs. protein vs. fat. I also think it would be useful for someone who has not previously tracked micronutrients as well.

    Also it could help people who have specific cases i.e. trying to build muscle, trying to burn fat, trying to lengthen the muscles vs bulking, and want a specific body type.

    But to be honest, as someone who has been teaching herself about nutrition for the last 5 years, I don't need it right now. Maybe someday, but I'm doing fine on my own at this point.

    So it's up to you... are you doing okay on your own?
  • Clawsal
    Clawsal Posts: 255 Member
    Options
    Well I tried losing weight by counting calories and balancing my macros. I made a conscious effort to eat more fats and protein, even though I love carbs. I ate 4 eggs a week and cheese and meat...

    I am glad I went to a doctor! It turns out I have high cholesterol at 24 and my iron levels were pretty high too. I don't even have that much to lose (23.9 BMI).

    So for losing weight, there's no need for medical help but for health I would say go for it! Everyone is different and rules like "1 gram of protein per lbs of lean mass" do not fit everyone's needs.

    Now a nutritionist apparently is not a doctor, so if he can't do blood work or anything, what is the point?
  • AmandaLipphardt
    AmandaLipphardt Posts: 80 Member
    Options
    If they are liscensed then sure. I was always told calories in calories out but there was really so much more that was going on for me. My gym offers a progam that has a group of about eight working with a trainer three days a week and included a nutritionist one day a week. I have a hormone imbalance that she was able to use to help me put certian foods into perspective. We also identified foods that were personally inflammatory to me as well as those that I did not realize that I was mildly allergic to. Also, she helped me identify foods that messed with my sleep cyle or caused me to wake up starving the next day and/or caused me to carb crave like hell. I went from frequent insommnia to mild insommnia and I went from having charlie horse leg cramps at least once a week to not having had a single one in the last two years. Well worth the money for that alone to me.
  • shadowofender
    shadowofender Posts: 786 Member
    Options
    I think a nutritionist is a tool. At the end of the day, no matter what they tell you, it's up to you to do the work and get the results. That being said, some people benefit from it. Hearing and learning from someone who is qualified can be a major asset. It's like personal training, for some, worth the cost, for others they can accomplish the same ends with different means.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Options
    Sophsmother wrote: »
    I think a visit to a dietician can be well worth it. They can give you some ideas of things you can eat that maybe you never thought of.

    Other things that can do this: restaurants, blogs, cookbooks, the farmer's market.

    It's like there's a lack of self-motivation, and people want to just be told what to do. I think that's a bad sign.
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    Options
    segacs wrote: »
    In most jurisdictions, a "nutritonist" is NOT the same thing as a registered dietitian.

    A registered dietitian must be licensed by the local regulatory body and follow certain standards of knowledge and health. Typically, dietitians work in conjunction with doctors, hospitals or other medical groups. Many insurance plans will cover referrals by a doctor to a dietitian.

    A "nutritionist" on the other hand could be anyone. There are usually no laws whatsoever governing who can call themselves a nutritionist. It could be a really knowledgeable person or it could be a quack. Some notable segments of the quackery market (e.g. "holistic nutrition") have tried to co-opt the nutritionist term, so many of them might not be just clueless, but might actually be giving you advice that could do you harm.

    Caveat emptor.
    AllOutof_Bubblegum wrote: »
    A nutritionist: NO.

    A Registered Dietitian: Maybe.

    There is an enormous distinction in terms of education and certification between the two. Being a nutritionist means exactly nothing, as there are no specific criteria that need to be met to call yourself one. An RD needs a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in nutrition, a year-long internship in a clinical setting, and to have passed a national exam.

    If you feel you really need help getting on track and are willing to pay for it, make sure you are paying someone who actually deserves to get paid for their services and aren't full of crap, as many "nutritionists" are.

    +1 for these.

Categories